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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · safe · march · board · bat · season · rush · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. march — the month
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a committee
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. march — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com